PRO FOOTBALL: PLAYOFFS

PRO FOOTBALL: PLAYOFFS; Fassel Expects a Hobbled Toomer to Be a Starter

By FRANK LITSKY

Published: January 13, 2001

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Jan. 12—
Amani Toomer is back. Toomer, the Giants' best receiver, went through today's 75-minute practice at full speed, and Coach Jim Fassel said the fifth-year pro would start Sunday in the National Football Conference championship game against the Minnesota Vikings at Giants Stadium.

Toomer sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter of the Giants' 20-10 playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. Without him, the Giants (13-4), who have an uncertain passing game, would be limited against the Vikings (12-5).

Toomer did not practice on Wednesday and cut short his practice on Thursday because of pain and tightness in the ankle. Today he felt he had to convince his coaches and himself that he was ready to play. The winner of Sunday's game will advance to Super Bowl XXXV on Jan. 28 in Tampa, Fla.

Fassel said he was convinced that Toomer would be able to play.

''He ran good and he ran all the plays,'' Fassel said of Toomer. ''I say he's ready to go. He will start.''

Toomer, who had 78 receptions for 1,094 yards and 7 touchdowns during the regular season, said after practice that all was fine.

''Today I went full speed,'' he said. ''It's a little sore, but that's not unusual. I'm not going to take any painkiller, just an anti-inflammatory. It would kill me for the team to be part of an N.F.C. championship game and me not be a part of it. It's not a major injury. I thought all along I could play.''

This has been a busy week for Toomer in the film room, too, studying the Vikings' defense.

''If you watch film,'' he said, ''you can see what they do. Their secondary wants to play two deep and protect the corners. They don't try trickery.''

While Toomer is back as a receiver, his punt-return responsibilities remain unclear. Tiki Barber, usually the punt returner, took some punts in practice today, but his broken left arm seems sure to keep him from doing that against the Vikings. Toomer is the No. 2 returner, Ike Hilliard No. 3 and Jason Sehorn a recently appointed No. 4. All did their share of work today.

Barber is wearing a graphite carbon cast, smaller and lighter than the fiberglass cast he wore last week. He can carry the ball as a running back, but punt returns are chancy because he cannot turn his hand without hurting the bone.

Fassel said he had not decided, but Hilliard, the starting receiver opposite Toomer, is the probable choice.

''I'll decide Sunday whether it will be Amani or Ike,'' Fassel said. ''I have a lot of confidence in Ike, but Amani is ready.''

To which Toomer responded: ''I don't know. If I have to do it, I'll do it.''

The best bet in the punt-return derby is that Jessie Armstead, the 240-pound Pro Bowl outsider linebacker, will not be the return man. So what was Armstead doing returning a punt in practice today?

''I might be back there,'' he said playfully. ''You never know. It's a big game. I need everybody to root for that and help me get back there.''

Just having Armstead return a punt in practice showed that the Giants were loose. But not too loose, Fassel said.

''Everyone is excited,'' he said, ''but it's the same focus for us. These guys have a lot of energy. I can tell when they're too loose because when that happens you start missing plays. They're not. All week, practice has been good.''

Today, after two days of practice in pads, the players wore the usual Friday equipment: plastic protective shells without pads. Among the onlookers at practice were Pat Summerall and John Madden, the television announcers who will do the game for Fox, and Chris Godfrey, a starting guard on the Giants' championship team from Super Bowl XXI. Godfrey, still at his playing weight of 250 pounds, is a lawyer in South Bend, Ind.

Godfrey is one of several Giants alumni who have been invited to the game. Lawrence Taylor and O. J. Anderson, both Super Bowl stars, will be honorary game captains.

''I wanted some of them to come and hang out,'' Fassel said, hoping some of the magic would rub off. ''Six, seven, eight guys, guys like that.''

Fassel has invited Taylor to talk to the team after Saturday's practice.

Rick Donohue, the Giants' assistant general manager, remembered a locker-room speech by Taylor in 1994, the year after Taylor retired.

''Dan Reeves was coaching,'' Donohue said. ''We had lost seven straight, and Dan asked Lawrence to talk to the team before a game in Houston, an inspirational speech. Lawrence racked out the team with such language that Dan had to walk out, but they won that game and the next five, too.''

Photos: Amani Toomer went through yesterday's 75-minute practice at full speed. (Associated Press)(pg. D3); Amani Toomer, recovering from a sprained left ankle, convinced Coach Jim Fassel that he would be ready. (Associated Press)(pg. D1)